


Picnic

by aburnishedthrone



Series: mazlek dating fun [3]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018) Actor RPF
Genre: Dating, M/M, Picnics, Public Display of Affection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-15 20:38:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18506647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aburnishedthrone/pseuds/aburnishedthrone
Summary: Rami and Joe get out of the city and go on a springtime picnic.





	Picnic

Rami hates the paparazzi. He really, really hates them.

Ever since the Oscars they won’t leave him alone. He can’t even go off to work on Mr. Robot without one of them trying to take pictures. He’s glad they can’t get onto set. But enough of them get as close as they can. 

At least his outfit is always the same for Mr. Robot. He hopes it makes it harder for the paparazzi to sell their pictures.

It’s worse when he’s out with Joe. They all want pictures of the two of them together. They haven’t gotten many since he and Joe don’t go to any popular spots. And they only keep trustworthy people around them. Not anyone who would call the paparazzi for a quick paycheck. 

Which means the gossip magazines are even more eager to get their hands on some photos.

It’s driving Rami crazy. 

What’s even worse are all the new fans trying to take pictures. They’re never as sneaky as they think they are. Rami hates those pictures almost as much as paparazzi pictures. 

Rami doesn’t understand why someone wants pictures of him grocery shopping. Or buying coffee. Or sitting at a restaurant table. Or walking down the street.

He doesn’t understand why someone needs to take a video of him interacting with a cashier or food vendor. Or, again, why they need a video of him walking down the street. Or standing around on the Mr. Robot set.

He’ll happily take pictures with fans. But the people who try to stealthily take pictures of his every day life make him uncomfortable.

“Those aren’t fans,” Joe says. “They’re nosy, rude people.”

“I just want to go out without anyone taking our picture.”

Joe looks guilty.

Rami sighs. “Your pictures are fine.”

He doesn’t mind what Joe posts on social media. At least Rami is aware of those pictures being taken. And he also knows Joe would never post anything inappropriate.

Rami loves New York City. He loves living there and working there. But he’s beginning to hate that he can’t go a day without a new picture appearing online.

What makes it all worse is that he and Joe haven’t been able to go on a date in ages. They haven’t wanted to risk it. Rami wants a nice private date that’s just the two of them. Not a date that’s the two of them and a dozen paparazzi and a dozen random strangers taking sneaky pictures.

Joe, as usual, comes to the rescue. 

He wakes Rami up early one Saturday. Early for him, at least. It’s only ten in the morning. But it’s Rami’s rare day off from filming. He wants to sleep in. But Joe makes him get up.

He hands him a cup of coffee and persuades him to go sit in the car. Rami closes his eyes and listens to Joe shoving something in the trunk. He’s too tired to ask what’s going on.

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Joe shuts the car door and turns on the engine. “You can sleep on the ride.”

“Good.” He promptly falls asleep without waiting for Joe to reply.

Joe wakes up him up over an hour later. He shakes his shoulder gently and smiles. “Come on, sleepyhead. We’re here.”

Rami yawns and stretches. When he looks out the car window he sees that they’re completely out of the city. All he can see is green fields and hills. There aren’t many other people in sight.

“Where are we?” Rami asks. It looks like a state park of some kind. But he can’t see any signs around. He must have still been asleep when they passed them.

Joe doesn’t answer. He just gets out of the car. Rami follows and watches in surprise as Joe takes a picnic basket from the trunk of the car. He pulls out a blanket afterwards.

“We’re having a picnic lunch. Away from the city. Away from the paparazzi.”

He takes Rami’s hand in his and leads him across the fields. There are some art sculptures here and there. Rami makes a mental note to investigate them later.

They pass some people on their way. But not many. And no one who gives them a second glance. 

It’s nice not to be recognized for once. To be on a date with his boyfriend without worrying about someone observing them. To hold his hand in public. It feels like they’re a normal couple.

Joe sets the picnic basket down when he finds a good spot. He spreads out the blanket he’s been carrying under one arm before they sit.

“I didn’t know they still made these,” Rami says, looking at the basket. It’s the type of thing he’s seen in romcoms.

Joe blushes. “I had to order it custom made online.”

Rami laughs. Of course Joe did. He kisses him in thanks.

He has to kiss Joe again when he opens the picnic basket. Joe’s filled it with food from their favorite places in the city. It’s sweet, but also a relief. Neither of them can cook.

“Can’t go wrong with the classics,” Joe says, lifting a turkey sandwich from the basket. 

They spend hours there, sitting and nibbling at food. Occasionally talking. Sometimes cuddling and staring up at the clouds. Joe hands him a book at one point and Rami reads that while Joe naps. When he needs to stretch his legs, he gets up to go wander around the park. He takes some pictures. No one bothers him. Maybe they don’t recognize him or maybe they realize he’s here for some privacy.

Either way, it’s nice.

Joe’s still sleeping when he returns. Rami kisses him awake. He smiles when Joe blinks up at him, still sleepy.

“We should head back soon.”

Joe pulls him down onto the blanket and into his lap. He kisses him, over and over, until Rami is flushed. “I think we can stay a little longer.”

Rami smiles. “That’d be nice.”

He kisses Joe again. Then pushes him back so he’s laying against the blanket. He flops down on top of him. “This was nice. I needed this.”

“You liked it?” Joe asks.

“I loved it,” Rami says. It really was a romantic date. Rami can’t remember the last time either of them had such a nice day together. He wants more days like this one.

He decides then that whenever the city becomes too much or the paparazzi start bothering them, they’re going to find their own private and peaceful place to escape. Just the two of them.


End file.
